Marquette in Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Sixth Ward Public Library

Claude and Starck, Architects

— 1912 —

Sixth Ward Public Library Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William J. Toman, November 30, 2011

1. Sixth Ward Public Library Marker

Inscription. The Sixth Ward Public Library was funded by a grant from Andrew Carnegie and is the oldest existing Carnegie library building in Madison. It is significant as the work of architects Claude and Starck, and is designed in the Collegiate Gothic style executed in red brick with limestone arches, niches and banding. The style was popular for academic buildings and sought to emulate the character of elite colleges such as Oxford and Cambridge. Original interior features included a lower level auditorium for lectures and an upper level reading room featuring a barrel vaulted ceiling.

Designated October 02, 1995

Erected 2011 by the Madison Landmarks Commission. (Marker Number 131.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the Carnegie Libraries, and the Wisconsin, Madison Landmarks Commission series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is October 2, 1766.

Location. 43° 5.054′ N, 89° 21.766′ W. Marker is in Madison, Wisconsin, in Dane County. It is in Marquette. Marker is at the intersection of Williamson Street and North Baldwin Street, on the right when traveling east on Williamson Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near

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this postal address: 1249 Williamson Street, Madison WI 53703, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Toward Revolution / 1970's Vision (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); John A. Johnson made Madison's Factory District Flourish (approx. 0.2 miles away); B. B. Clarke House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Gay Liberation Sculpture (approx. 0.2 miles away); Orton Park (approx. ¼ mile away); George Soelch Investment House (approx. ¼ mile away); Mills Brothers Commercial Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Curtis-Kittleson House (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Madison.

Regarding Sixth Ward Public Library. According to the Madison Landmarks Commission, "This building was the first branch public library in Madison, and is the oldest surviving library building in the city. It is one of 63 libraries in Wisconsin built with funds donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It consists of two sections: an entry and a main library block. Its brick construction with stone detailing, pointed arches and vertical piers, suggestive of buttresses, are evocative of the Collegiate Gothic style, popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."

Related markers. Click here for

Photographed By William J. Toman, November 30, 2011

2. Sixth Ward Public Library Marker

The marker is on the right corner of this, the Williamson Street side of the building.

a list of markers that are related to this marker. This is a list of markers for buildings designed by Claude and Starck.

Photographed By William J. Toman, November 30, 2011

3. Sixth Ward Public Library Marker

This is the south corner of the building, showing the back of the building on the right.

Photographed By William J. Toman, November 30, 2011

4. Sixth Ward Public Library Marker

This is a closeup of the back of the building.

Sixth Ward Public Library Photo image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William J. Toman, November 30, 2011

5. Sixth Ward Public Library Photo

This photo of the upper level reading room circa 1945, featuring the barrel vaulted ceiling mentioned in the marker, is just inside the front door of the building.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2011, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 741 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 30, 2011, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin.